For the first time this autumn we are offering a week of Nordic walking and yoga in a gorgeous chalet in the Aravis area of the French Alps. Our base is Chalet le 4, with its great food, endless swimming pool, decking for yoga, gym and massage room, and, of course, the mountain location which is truly breathtaking. We love it there!

Yoga is being included in this trip largely due to my huge enthusiasm for yoga and all it offers. After a trip to India a few years ago I realised just how much better I felt after practising yoga on a daily basis. A chat with fellow converts led to the same result - we had heard of yoga, knew that people got 'into' it, but had an image of 'hippy dippy' bendy action where everyone had to chat OM and commune with their inner self! I was so wrong in my assumptions. Yes, occasionally we might be heard to chant OM, and you would be suprised at how good it can feel! But essentially my body became so much more flexible, I lost weight, became toned and honed, and my mind felt much calmer. I just wish I had discovered all of this much earlier in my life.

As someone who is very active, and always on the go, I know how important it is to keep my body in good condition, and I have every intention of keeping going as long as I can, despite my Mother's regular cry of "when are you going to grow up and calm down". Believe me I have every intention of growing old utterly disgracefully!

Nordic walking is also on the daily agenda and for those of you new to this activity, it is simply walking made a little more energetic with the use of very lightweight walking poles. Easy to learn and fabulous for upper body strength and mobility. It also burns more calories than normal walking and for some of us that is an added bonus.

Anyway, do try and join us at Chalet le 4 this September where you can eat great food, enjoy the mountains, and leave with a mind and body fully restored.

I have attached a PDF to this Blog of my 'paper' which I prepared for my yoga class. It extols the virtues of yoga for a long and active life, and hopefully it might inspire you to join us.